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Can I just suggest the you take the softly softly approach to this matter. After all, you are not hearing this directly from the horsing mouth. Unless you perronally have heard the agent say this then don’t accuse then. Instead why don’t you contact them and say that you want to ensure that the by laws etc are made clear in regards to pets and renovations because you have had “misunderstandings” regarding these matters in the past. So you are not actually accusing anyone, just simply ensuring they are aware and pass this on to prospective buyers.
We have one owner here who still, 6 years after moving in, claims that the agent told him that the visitors parking next to his place as actually for him, on his title. Having had some dealings with this person it is apparent that he only hears what he wants to hear. Therefore I believe that the agent said ” and you have visitors parking next door” and this person has heard ” and you have parking next door”..
Well I do look good in black……
Yes I do think that ECs should be fined and held accountable. They should be able to prove how they came to their decisions, why they did this and not that. A vote against one owner who wants to make a change should be the same for all owners. EC’s shouldn’t be allowed to enforce some bylaws and not others. And they should not issue NTC to an owner when they, the EC members, have done the same thing.
All of the above have happend he in the past two years or so. Questionable decisions have been made and yet decisions on repairs and maintenance have been left for over a year. When I asked the OC to address an issue with another owner I was told they are too busy carrying out all the repairs to possible attend to that trivial complaint and will attend to that when the work is done. 12 months on no work done. No action taken. And our EC sits back and thinks it is all ok because they are covered by insurance. Owners sit back and thing that someone will do something and will no doubt wait till the AGM to ask/complain. Just like last year and the year before and the year before….
If they don’t attend to matters placed before them in writing they should explain the reason why. If the reason is because of other outstanding matters then those matters should be shown to be completed in about to be completed in a schedule of works. You don’t need a course to be on the EC. You need common sense, communication, advice from your SM and this website. That is what I used whilst on the EC with no problems. I knew I had the responsibility of others people’s homes to consider.
Though I was no fan of our strata manager whilst on the EC,they did do a lot of work for our complex over the years. They did this because I kept on top of things asking them to arrange quotes, works, payments, notices. I kept track of what should happen and when. I realized that our strata manager had a lot of plans on their books, not just one. So the onus must be on the owners to check up on happening in their own complex. Your own water leak might have been overlooked because the manager had 10 others they were attending to on that day. They did earn their money whilst I was on the EC because I rang, emailed, and asked the status of repairs/maintenance. I asked for confirmation of receiving instructions. I did a lot of work for free making sure that they earned their money. And they did. I am sure they hated hearing I was on the phone.
Having a strata manager means that there is a contact point for owners at least 5 days a week. On matters of urgency, where person or property were in danger of injury or damage, the SM would step in, after trying to contact EC members and get work done. The big problem with our last strata manager was not the company as a own whole, or the owner of the business, but rather some of the property managers that crossed our path were astoundingly incompetent, and down right rude. But I kept on top of matters, I complained, I had monies reimbursed where they were in the wrong, such as the time they sent out a notice to owners at least 4 times that was 4 pages long. The photo copy fees plus the postage fees might not have been a million dollars, but we weren’t going to pay for it.
The problem with owners here is that they think the SM does everything. That the SM gets the work done and if it isn’t done then it is their fault. I have had one resident here ask which unit the SM lived in. Most here think that the OC is the EC so they don’t have to do anything, it is all for someone else, namely the SM. In the case of the outstanding maintenance for our complex, now up to for quoting processes over the past 12 months, an owner recently said to me that perhaps things will be better with the new people. Thinking there had been some EC coup that I did not know about I asked which new people. He was referring to the new SM. Because obviously it was the old SM who didn’t get around to the maintenance here. Not the current EC who would ask the SM to arrange quotes then do nothing with them, then they expire, they ask for more quotes do nothing etc etc. I pity our new SM. People are already starting to say they are incompetent. But they are waiting for instructions to carry out works. I had some tradespeople over to my place. They were astounded at the state of the exterior common property just outside my front door. A problem that was reported 12 months ago. They said it was not an expensive job, and would only take 30 minutes. Quoting process started with the last SM. Up to two quotes for the new manager about to get the third. And no doubt they a charging now for getting this job, not to mention the others, requoted.. And so they should.
At my place of employment, the staff car park has a sign which states that all unauthorized cars parked there will be towed at owners expense. Each employee has a numbered sticker on their car that is registered to that employee. The car park has spot checks for unauthorized cars. Employees who abuse the parking loose access to the carpark.
So if it cave done for a company on their private property, why not strata? Have a big sign at eqch parking area clearly explaining that their car will be towed and tht they will pay for that. Each resident gets a sticker for their car. They have to register the plate numbers, make and model. Those with one garage/car spot gets to register one car, get one sticker, no matter how many cars they have. An owner with two garages can register two cars if they have them. If they only own one car they can only have one sticker, to stop anyone handing out stickers to someone else such as a friend who needs parking for the day.
But then there is the matter of the by law. As I have said before, as the majority of residents abuse or use the visitors car spots in my complex so there would be no way to get a by law passed.
I read with interest “freedom of information” and about the anonymous website. I had thought about setting up an email address under a name like Save our Strata then putting flyers in owners letter boxes asking them to get angry at what our EC is doing, or not doing more to the point. I wanted them to get involved and do something. I intended to list the numerous maintenance issues still outstanding one year on. I thought that by doing this i may get a “gang” of concerned owners together and things might start happening.
But then, why should I get them engaged? Why aren’t they angry? What aren’t they asking questions, getting advice? I did. I was told that our EC is in breach of the act in so many ways. I was told not to correspond with them without getting advice first. And any anonymous emails, website, flyers etc would be accredited to me anyway. I am the only one who has jumped up and down in the past.
The problem is not with a by law to vote out visitors parking spots but to get all to agree to a by law to tow cars parked in the visitors spots away at owners expense.
Residents here, even those who complain about the rogue parker’s, would not vote for a by law to clamp or tow cars because they park there themselves sometimes. So no owners here would take a resident on over parking. No one but me.
You buy a place with one car spot, you can park one car. You have two car spots you can park two cars. It isn’t rocket science. If you want to park cars anywhere but your garage or on the street, then you should buy a house. You can fill the whole your own lawn up with parked cars, kill your own grass, damage your own gardens and then have to pay from your own pocket to have it fixed.
I have been told before that a complex can have a by law drawn up to clamp or tow cars parked “illegally”. Such a by law would need approval of the majority of owners in the complex. But that doesn’t help my friend as out of 16 residences, approx 12 park wherever they want, including some EC members.
Even in my complex which pales in comparison with my friends the majority of owners have .made regular use of the visitors car spots. Some more than others. A by law would not get through here. Though I am lucky. The rumor network is alive and well here, with the residents concerned that I am taking photos and details to take further action. The rogue parker’s here are obvious in their absence.
Whale, what happened to the lessee? Did he move out or has he just not been seen around? I would be inclined to enquire about his whereabouts and to his well being considering what has been happening. Something is just not right here. Someone does not move out and continue paying rent unless he has won lotto. If he was living in a unit with his son and his two kids he obviously didn’t have the financial means to pay the rent for them in the past.
Couldn’t you take action against the owner for the noise and disruption caused by her tenant, even though you know he actually isn’t there? If the lease is still in the original name, can’t you send out notice to comply to this name and notice to the owner for their tenant to comply? If the lessee doesn’t comply, and he couldn’t if he isn’t there, his lease could be broken?
Something not right with all this. Why wouldn’t an owner be interested in their property? Perhaps the tenants are known to her? I feel there is more to this story.
When I was on the EC, I was the first point of contact. I had a lot of messages left on my own personal mobile, mainly from the SM.The mobile phone company I was with at the time charged me for retrieving messages. Whe I left the committee my mobile phone bill decreased quite a lot.
I had asked at an AGM if we could gett a mobile phone to have as a direct contact. I was thinking of one of those mobiles that you get for kids which only enables you to dial 5 numbers and is locked for anything else. In this way members of the EC could have turns at being “on duty”, covering weekends and evenings when the SM isnt available. This was given the kibosh by owners, owners who were,not on the committee, never had been, still aren’t and yet complained just recently about wanting better contact.
I had reasoned that this mobile phone would allow EC members to have their mobiles for their own personal purposes, owners would only have to know one number on speed dial for the EC no matter who was on it each year and would know there should always be someone on the end of the phone. I had a call once whilst standing on the great wall of China. Wouldn’t it have been better to know that the number you rang would be answered by someone within spitting distance of the complex and the problem at the time?
I believe a special levy would have to be agreed upon at an AGM or EGM with the agreement of owners. I don’t think the EC can just impose a special levy.
You are very lucky to only have an amount of $70 asked of yourself and other owners. I am concerned when you say that this amount could force you out. We have had a apecial levy of $500 in the past. And acquaintances of mine have been hit with $10,000 special levies for essential repairs and miantainence. You should keep in mind that there may well come a time where you will have to pay a much larger special levy than $70.
You do not state how many units are in your complex. I personally would wonder as to how much money is in the bank. For a small complex this would not be a lot of money. A large complex of 100 would mean $7000. A lot to spend on decorations. Though not alot with a healthy bank balance in a large complex. Does your complex have enough more to cover repairs/maintenance that come up so that owners are not hit with special levies left right and centre?
A well decorated foyer I believe would add to the value of units in a complex. It is the apartment block equivalent of “street appeal”. Don’t know that a flagpole is really necessary. And would think that this would account for the majority of the costs in this circumstance.
If your contract states that the wall is 1.75m and it is only 1m high, why aren’t you aking that this be rectified?
As kiwioaul has said take photos. Not just of the chairmans car but all cars. Then this is what I would do. I would write to the chairman saying that on advice you were told that to take further action you would need to photo evidence (digital with date stamp some smart phones don’t record the date). Then attach the photos of all cars without saying that hou know who owns which car. Tell the chairman that if the EC does not instigate a firm letter to all residents and then issue ntc to those who ignore the notice that you will take the matter further.
Now this may seem like a bluff and essentially it is. I have bluffed those on the EC here in just such a way as we had EC members who abused the visitors parking and then stating, in writing, that they could do whatever they wanted too as they apparently were more important. I let it be known that I had photos, and I wasn’t afraid to use them. Funny, the visitors car parks have been empty 99% of the time lately. Do I have photos? Yes I do. Have I taken it further? No need at the moment. All quiet on the visitor parking front – for now.
I am the opposite of Scotlandx. I have lived in my complex for over 10 years. Initially it was like nirvana with people taking pride in their homes. We had a couple of people who had to be brought into line but we ony needed to say “hey mate you can’t do that” and all was well.
Then we had people move in who expected the OC to pay for everything and anything. Then people moved in who thought that as an owner they could do what they want. That was when Iwe had to seek help from flat chat (pre forum days) and a lot of input from Jimmy. Then fair trading, then the lawyers.I used to live in a place where people helped and looked out for each other. Where we had regular drinks nights and homes were decorated for Christmas, prompting discussions that we should hold competitions for the best decorated. Now there is nothing. No drinks. No Christmas tinsel. No maintenance, no repairs. People are complacent and always blaming someone else.
Someone’s alarm went off the other day. Once upon a time this would cause half a dozen doors to open and residents to investigate. Not now. Not even me. Complacency breeds complacency.
The problem I believe is not limited to my complex. And the remedy is education. A friend moved into a strata complex about 6 months ago. I asked him how it was going. He said he hadn’t heard from anyone, EC OC etc. I asked what he has done about it. Nothing. He is sitting back waiting for someone else. A work colleague said he is thinking of downsizing into strata as his house needs work and he has to spend thousands on it. I happened to say what if your strata needs thousands of dollars spent on it as a couple of aquaitences of mine have had to do recently. He said that he wouldn’t need to spend money because levies covered that. Then finally, as I bemoaned to someone that I was over strata and wanted out, she said why don’t I buy a townhouse. I said I am in a townhouse already. Oh is a townhouse strata she said.
If I could find somewhere where like minded people lived who cared about their own homes las well as the complex as a whole and the people who live in it then I would gladly move there. But what guarantee would I have that the same thing doesn’t happen there as has happened here. And though it may be said that you are on your own to fight any battles in a house, I am afraid you are also on your own in strata if no one else gives a rats.
Totally agree with Scotlandx here. If you could park three cars easily within your parking spaces then no problem. But you can’t and so you are using space that is not yours for your own convenience. But you are paying levies based on the unit entitlement that includes your car spaces which only allow for two cars.
If one person encroaches on common property then they all will. If you can get exclusive use by law so you can have this extra space and b responsible for it, pay extra for it, then all well and good. But why someone feels that they should get extra space for free is beyond me.
My complex has many rresidents who have parkinga for two cars but feel they should have another spot, namely the visitors spots, for extra parking because they have three cars, want to use their garage as a gym, dr their laundry n the garage, use their garage as storage or use it as a child’s rumpus room. Those residents with two car spots claimed that the visitors spots are never used so why can’t they use them. It was put to them that if they felt that the visitors spots should be used by residents then the owners with only one garage, who incidentally did not abuse the visitors car spots, should be given first dibs on the visitors spots. There was an outcry. They only paid for one spot why should they get another! But those with two feel they should be entitled to three. Funny how some people’s logic works.